Mop-holder.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

H. BITNER.

MOP HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29.1903.

UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY BITNER, OF BERWYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ARCADE MANU- FACTURINGCOMPANY, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,700, dated May 2,1905.

Application filed June 29, 1903. Serial No. 163,539.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Brrnun, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Berwyn, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMop-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inmop-holders; and its object is to produce a device of this class whichshall be efficient in operation while being simple and cheap inconstruction.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction which are clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,and described in the specification.

In the aforesaid drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improvedmop-head. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a section inline 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a plan of the cross-head. Fig. 5 is asection in the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is an elevation of theferrule of the cross-head.

Referring to the drawings, A is the mopstick.

B indicates generally the cross-head, which extends across the mop-stickat right angles thereto and is provided with the usual groove. Theparticular construction of this cross-head is novel and will bedescribed in detail hereinafter.

O is the bail, which extends across the crosshead B upward therefrom ashort distance and thence in lines converging toward the mop-stick.

D indicates the operating-lever. This lever is provided with twooutwardly-projecting ears (Z, and to these cars the ends of the bail Care secured. The lever, it will be noted, is curved, so that when thrownagainst ;the stick it partially surrounds the same, bringing the ears(Z, to which the bail is secured, past the dead-center of the lever, sothat the lever is locked in place. A handle (2 extends upward from theears (Z, and this handle is given a slight curve away from the stick, sothat it maybe readily grasped. A perforation (Z is provided in thecenter of the lever, and preferably between the ears (Z, the lower endof this perforation being closed by a bridge (2. The lever is guidedupon the mop-stick A by a staple E, which crosses the bridge (.Z',heretofore mentioned. This staple is of such size and shape as to permitthe lever to turn readily upon the bridge as a center and also to permitthe bridge to shift longitudinally a certain distance.

Beyond the bridge d" are two thickened arms d. provided at their lowerends with curved faces d. These faces are adapted to bear against theupper end of a spring F, which surrounds the mop-stick and the lower endof which bears against the cross-head B. The spring F is under continualcompression, means for limiting the expansion thereof being provided. Itwill be obvious that various devices for this purpose can be adopted;but the device which I prefer for this purpose is that wherein one ofthe legs of the staple E serves the double purpose of supporting thestaple and limiting the expansion of the spring.

The operation of the mop head will now be explained. The jaws of the mopare opened by throwing the handle of the lever D down toward thecross-head, which causes the parts to assume the position shown in Fig.3. The mop or swab is then inserted between the jaws and the handle isforcibly drawn up. This forces the bridge d" against the lower leg ofthe staple E, (shown in-Fig. 3,) and said leg becomes a fulcrum uponwhich the lever rotates about the bridge and draws the bail upward. Inthe meantime the arms cl, which project downward beyond the bridge, havecome into contact with the upper end of the spring F and forced the samedown, thereby compressing the spring. After the arms (Z of the leverengage the spring the lever will either continue to rotate about thebridge or the latter will leave the lower end of the staple because ofthe upward pressure of the spring. The position which is eventuallyreached is shown in Fig. 2, and the longitudinal position of the leverupon the stick is determined by the relative compressibility of thespring and the material forming the mop or swab. After the bridge leavesthe lower end of the staple E the latter guides the lever along thestick and prevents it from falling out of place.

In a mop-holder which is to receive a wide range of thick and thin swabsit is desirable when a thin swab is inserted and clamped in place bymeans of a toggle-lever that there shall be some sort of yieldingdeviceas, for instance, a springinterposed at some point in the variouselements, which cooperate to draw the jaws togetherthat is to say, for

instance, in the bail, the lever, or between formed of a single strip ofmetal bent along the bail and the cross-head. If all of these parts areunyielding, the variation required by different thicknesses ofcomparatively thin swabs as well as by the movement of the toggle-leveritself across the center cannot be obtained. On the other hand, withcomparatively thick swabs a much greater force must be applied to thejaws to hold these large swabs than can advantageously be obtained froma spring which is suitable for the thin swabs. Furthermore, in the caseof the thick swabs their own elasticity as well as capacity forcompression makes it possible and even best to handle them by means ofunyielding connecting parts which will transmit the entire force appliedto the toggle-lever directly to the swab without the interposition ofany spring or yielding device. In the preferred form of the mop-stickherein described it should be noticed that while the jaws are mostwidely separated and thereafter during a considerable portion of theirmovement toward each other the lever fulorums itself upon the lower legof the staple which is rigidly fixed in the stick, so that there is nospring action whatever, and if the swab is thick enough the fullmovement of the lever compresses the swab without the bridge of thelever leaving the leg of the staple, so that with very thick swabs theoperation is substantially the same as if there were no spring and thestaple were only wide enough to pivot the lever to the stick, Thisenables great force to be exerted upon the thicker swabs in order thatthe same may be held securely from withdrawal or displacement. In thecase of the thinner swabs, however, where a spring-pressure is desirableat some point in the connecting devices, the operation of the leverduring the latter part of its movement in clamping the swab is verydifferent. After its extended ends strike the spring and compress thelatter to an extent determined by the thickness of the swab the freemovement of the lever causes the bridge to slide upward in the stapleand the lower end of the lever to wedge itself between the line ofattachment to the bail ends and the spring, and it is the spring and notthe leg of the staple which holds the jaws together.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the particular construction of thecross-head B will be set forth.

I) b are two similar halves of a ferrule stamped from sheet metal. Eachhalf consists of a semicylindrical portion 6', a Hat top I2 and twolaterally-projecting lugs 6 Each half is also provided with a lug 6*,which engages with a notch Z2 in the other half, so that the two halveswhen placed together are prevented from relative longitudinal movement.A channeled member 5 is provided, which is secured between. the upperends of the halves b b and held in place by rivets 6 which pass throughthe projecting lugs 5 The channeled member 6, it will be seen, is

its center line to form the U-shaped portion, the two jaws being flaredout to form the semicylindrical channel and the two ends being alsoflared out to receive the .bail in the ordinary way. The two halves I) bof the ferrule after being riveted upon the channel member 6 are alsosecured together and to the stick by a rivet 6 This form of crosshead isextremely simple and cheap. Great strength is imparted to it by thelower U- shaped portion of the channeled member 6, which, it will beseen, forms a strengtheningrib which will resist any ordinary pressure.

I realize that considerable variations are possible in the details ofthis construction without, departing from the spirit of the invention,and I therefore donot intend to limit myself to the specific form hereinshown and described, except as pointed out in the claims.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a device ofthe class described, the combination with a handle, a cross-head securedtl1ereto,and a bail passing over the crosshead and converging toward thehandle, of a spring surrounding the handle, a lever pivoted to the bail,means situated farther from the end of the lever than the point ofattachment of the bail, for guiding the lever longitudinally of thehandle, and arms on the lever projecting beyond said guiding means andadapted to engage the spring.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a handle, across-head secured thereto, a bail passing over the crosshead andconverging toward the handle, of a spring surrounding the handle, alever pivoted to the bail, means situated farther from the end of thelever than the points of attachment of the. bail, for guiding the leverlongitudinally of the handle, arms on the lever projecting beyond saidguiding means and adapted to engage with the spring, and means for Alimiting the expansion of the spring.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a handle, across-head se cured thereto and a bail passing over the crosshead andconverging toward the handle, of a spring surrounding the handle, alever, pivoted to the bail and having a transverse bridge, a staplesecured to the handle outside said bridge and adapted to guide saidlever longidown upon the stick, it must wedge itself betudinally of thehandle, and projecting arms tween the bail and the spring. on the leveradapted to engage with the spring. In witness whereof I have signed theabove 4. In a mop, the combination of a stick or application for LettersPatent, at Chicago, in 5 5 handle, a cross-head on the lower endthereof, the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this a bail embracingthe cross-head, a spring en- 18th day of June, A. D. 1903.

circling the stick and a lever pivoted to the r bail adjacent to one endadapted to bear upon HARRY BHNER' the spring at the other end and guidedbe- Witnesses:

Io tween these two points longitudinally of the RUSSELL WILES,

stick, whereby, as the upper end is thrown l CHAS. O. SHERVEY.

